Tashkent: Minister of Environment, Ayman Suleiman, held a series of bilateral meetings aimed at strengthening international cooperation on environmental protection, climate action, and sustainable development during his participation in the Eighth Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-8), held in Uzbekistan on June 4-5. According to Jordan News Agency, Suleiman met with Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Grethel Aguilar, and representatives of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation to discuss opportunities for developing and implementing joint regional projects addressing transboundary environmental challenges. These projects focus on climate change adaptation, natural resource management, and ecosystem restoration, aiming to promote regional cooperation and deliver shared environmental and development benefits. Suleiman emphasized the IUCN's 2026-2029 Program as a strategic framework supporting the development and implementation of nati onal strategies and action plans for nature conservation and biodiversity protection in Jordan and the region. He also highlighted the Ministry of Environment's role, as the chair of the IUCN National Committee in Jordan, in advancing institutional cooperation aligned with national priorities and global conservation objectives. The minister reviewed the Jordan Integrated Landscape Management Initiative (JILMI), funded by the Green Climate Fund and implemented with the IUCN. This project aims to improve ecosystem management by restoring degraded lands, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, enhancing rainwater harvesting techniques, improving groundwater recharge management, reducing water losses, and strengthening water governance. Both sides highlighted the importance of leveraging the IUCN's international expertise in designing and implementing high-impact environmental projects at national and regional levels. This collaboration aims to attract international financing and expand the environmental and developmental impact of future initiatives. In a related event, Suleiman participated in an IUCN-organized session titled "Enhancing Financing and Integration Among the Rio Conventions to Achieve Sustainable Development in Drylands." The session explored mechanisms to strengthen synergies among the three United Nations Rio Conventions on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification, emphasizing the need to direct financing toward integrated solutions that generate multiple environmental and development benefits. During the session, Suleiman shared Jordan's experience in integrating the objectives of the three Rio Conventions through national policies and strategies. These include the Climate Change Policy, the National Adaptation Plan, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Water Sector Strategy, and biodiversity strategies. He emphasized the interconnected nature of climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and water scarcity, which require integrated responses. He further not ed that Jordan is developing a national monitoring and evaluation framework based on shared indicators to assess land conditions, ecosystem health, and resilience to drought and climate change. This framework aims to ensure integrated outcomes that simultaneously support the objectives of all three conventions. The minister also highlighted several national projects supported by the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund, which contribute to ecosystem restoration, rangeland management, sustainable land and water management, and improved livelihoods for local communities. Despite the environmental and climate challenges facing Jordan as one of the world's most water-scarce countries, Suleiman stated that the Kingdom continues to work closely with international partners to advance nature-based solutions and develop sustainable environmental financing mechanisms. These efforts support Jordan's Economic Modernization Vision, contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and help build more resilient communities while safeguarding natural resources for future generations. Separately, the Jordanian delegation, led by Suleiman, held a bilateral meeting with the United Kingdom's Special Representative for Climate, Rachel Kyte, to discuss avenues for expanding Jordanian-British cooperation in environment, climate, and sustainable development. Suleiman outlined Jordan's priorities for the coming period, including increasing climate adaptation financing, protecting biodiversity and ecosystems, promoting sustainable natural resource management, and supporting local communities in addressing the impacts of climate change, in line with the Economic Modernization Vision and national development plans. The two sides reviewed prospects for cooperation under the JAHIZ project, which focuses on strengthening national capacities in climate action, climate security, and institutional preparedness. They also discussed collaboration on the "Muruna" (Resilience) project, which aims to enhance th e adaptive capacity of ecosystems and local communities, support nature-based solutions, and improve natural resource management in line with Jordan's sustainable development priorities. The discussions further explored opportunities to develop joint regional environmental and climate initiatives and to build on the successes achieved through Jordanian-British cooperation in recent years, contributing to environmental stability and sustainable development across the region. At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continued coordination and cooperation in support of the GEF-9 process and the strengthening of Jordanian-British partnerships in environment and climate action, advancing sustainable development goals and enhancing resilience to environmental and climate challenges.
